A Norwegian road trip to remember

Bring extra batteries for your camera and good hiking boots because you’ll be stopping for photos many times on this journey! This self-drive tour takes you to some of the best-known attractions in Norway, including the stunning fjords, the central highlands and charming cities such as Oslo, Geilo, Bergen, Sogndal, Geiranger, Ålesund, Trondheim, Røros and Lillehammer.

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Oslo

Arrive to Gardermoen Airport in Oslo. For an easy and comfortable way to get to your hotel in central Oslo, we are happy to arrange a private transfer for you.
If you arrive early, we suggest buying an Oslo Pass for free travel on all public transit along with free admission to over 30 museums and attractions plus special offers on entertainment, restaurants, shops and more. The pass can be purchased at tourist information centres or at most hotels and major attractions in the city.

Day 2: On the Road to Geilo

In the morning, collect your rental car in Oslo and start your journey through the Hallingdal Valley on your way to Geilo, a charming mountain village. On this scenic drive, you will travel past steep ski hills, through beautiful forests and over plateaus with great views.

Day 3: Mountainous Drive to Bergen

From Geilo, continue to Bergen. Today’s leg of the journey takes you past the Hardangervidda National Park and to the inner parts of the beautiful Hardangerfjord, with spectacular views along the way. Other highlights of the drive include the impressive waterfall of Vøringfossen—the highest in Norway with its 182-metre cascade, the dramatic and narrow Måbødalen valley and the beautiful landscapes of the Eidfjord area.

Day 4: Free Time in Bergen

Despite being Norway’s second largest city and a major cruise port, Bergen has retained the atmosphere and charm of a small town. Here you’ll find the old wharf of Bryggen—a UNESCO World Heritage site, centuries-old houses, a vibrant fish and flower market and an interesting range of museums. For a good overview of Bergen, take the one-hour “mini-train” sightseeing tour through the city centre, including such sights as Maria Church, the Rosenkrantz Tower and King Håkon’s Hall as well as a panoramic view of the city from the Fjellveien Road.

Day 5: Voss & the Fjord Route

Today continue your self-drive trip by heading to Norway’s adventure capital, Voss. There, you can try out one of the many thrilling activities the town and its hinterlands have to offer. Another option is a visit to the beautiful Aurlandsfjord, where you can experience the famously steep train ride between Flåm and Myrdal—a treat for photographers or train enthusiasts alike! Your journey will then continue to Sogndal along the Sognefjord—Norway’s longest and deepest fjord—taking in such sights on the way as the town of Stalheim and Aurlandsdalen.

Day 6: Jostedal Glacier to Geirangerfjord

Drive along the Fjærlands Road towards the Jostedal glacier, mainland Europe’s largest icecap, and make a stop at the Norwegian glacier museum. Then continue your journey along Lake Jølster and through Loen and Stryn to Hellesylt, where you will take the ferry over the Geirangerfjord, considered by many to be the most beautiful fjord in the world. This ride offers magnificent scenery and views of waterfalls like the Seven Sisters and Bridal Veil.

Day 7: Twists & Turns to Ålesund

From Geiranger, drive up the steep and winding Ørnevegen, “The Eagle Road”, to Eidsdal, where you will take another scenic ferry ride to Linge. If you enjoy twists and turns, you will be even more impressed with the drive up Trollstigen, “The Troll Ladder”, one of the most visited attractions in Norway.
After passing the high mountains encircling Trollstigen, continue to the captivating town of Ålesund. This city was almost completely rebuilt after a great fire in 1904 and is therefore very different from any other Norwegian town with its Art Nouveau architecture. The myriad of turrets, spires and beautiful ornamentation give the town its distinctive character, like something out of a fairytale. Here you also have the opportunity to visit the Atlantic Sea Park and enjoy stunning views from Fjellstua.

Day 8: Atlantic Ocean Road to Kristiansund

Drive to Vestnes and take the ferry to Molde. Then head to the fishing village of Bud, which in the 16th and 17th centuries was the most important trading centre between Bergen and Trondheim. From there you will continue on the Atlantic Ocean Road, with the vast ocean on one side and majestic snow-clad mountains on the other. End the day in Kristiansund, a charming city built on five islands with beautiful views from its natural harbour.

Day 9: The Capital of the Vikings

Today continue north towards Trondheim, the "Capital of the Vikings". Enjoy exploring this vibrant port city that was once the capital of Norway during the Viking Age, back when the city was called Nidaros. Here you will find the remarkable Nidaros Cathedral—with architecture to rival Paris’s Notre Dame, as well as countless other attractions like the Ringve Museum and Gardens, the Trøndelag Folk Museum, the charming neighbourhood of Bakklandet by the old wharf and much more.

Day 10: Highlights of Trondheim

Enjoy another leisurely day in Trondheim, Norway’s third largest city. If you’re looking for some relaxing activities today, you can take a short boat trip to the old fortress island of Munkholmen (“the Monk’s Islet”) or hop on the tram at St. Olavs gate in the city centre for a scenic 20-minute ride up to Lian in the Bymarka forest, offering panoramic views of the city. Trondheim also features an excellent selection of restaurants that specialize in regional dishes made with fresh local ingredients. And if you want to follow your meal with a good local beer, the Trondheim Microbryggeri is the place to go.

Day 11: World Heritage Town of Røros

Today’s journey will take you back in time! Drive towards the southeast, close to the Swedish border, to the small mountain town of Røros. This former mining settlement is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, offering a charming atmosphere with well-preserved old wooden houses and narrow streets with many artist workshops.

Day 12: Olympic Town of Lillehammer

From Røros, drive south to Lillehammer, the host city of the 1994 Winter Olympics. To learn more about this competition’s history, visit the Norwegian Olympic Museum. Nearby is the Lysgårdsbakkene Ski Jumping Arena, where you can ride the chairlift for a great view or try the bobsled simulator! Other good options here include a visit to Maihaugen, one of Northern Europe’s largest open-air museums, or a stroll along Storgata, the city’s lively main street with many shops and restaurants.

Day 13: Close the Circle in Oslo

After you have enjoyed all the best Lillehammer has to offer, it’s time to head back towards Oslo. On the way, you can make a stop at Hamar to visit Vikingskipet, the impressive ice rink built for the Olympics. On arrival to Oslo, return your rental car and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure, perhaps with a fine dinner to top off your amazing journey.

Day 14: Departure Day

For transportation to Oslo-Gardermoen Airport, you can take the Flytoget express train from Oslo Central Station or a taxi directly from your hotel. If your flight is in the afternoon, you have the chance for some last-minute shopping, a visit to one of Oslo’s museums or a relaxing break at a café.

Reviews

We don’t like to brag, so we’ll let our happy customers do it for us.

The entire experience was wonderful

The booking process was easy and very comprehensive. We received our documents in plenty of time to view our options for visiting sites while on the trip . Sindre was always prompt in answering any e mail questions we had prior to our departure . Rental car pick up was a breeze as the location for pick up was less than three blocks from our hotel in Oslo. The hotel choices were superior.

Susan,United States

Norway Explorer, September 2016

Excellent service

Superbly organised, clear information with just enough detail not to be overwhelming. The tour was perfectly split into manageable driving lengths. Receiving the travel documentation was very exciting, wouldn't have been the same in digital form. I loved the map with the hotel names written on. The choice of hotels was varied and of a high standard. I was able to research hotel facilities such as car parking and kettles in rooms using trip advisor. That was really the only info missing to aid my planning. I felt that we were in safe hands and that should we have needed advice and support, it would've been there. Thank you for an excellent service.

Emma,United Kingdom

Norway Explorer, August 2016

Very well organized

It was a wonderful tour through the stunning scenery of Norway, very well organized by Nordic Visitor. Already thinking of visiting the northern part of Norway (Nordkapp, Lofoten) at some stage in the future, if a self-drive option is available.

Kobus,South Africa

Norway Explorer, September 2016

We recommend Nordic Visitor

Accommodation was excellent in all locations. We were pleased that many of the hotels offered complimentary evening light buffet meals. The hire car we received exceeded our expectations. We very much appreciated the map we were given with handwritten annotations for hotels, ferries etc.

Susannah,United Kingdom

Norway Explorer, August 2016

Organisation made the trip a lot less stressful

Thank you for the itinerary, and organisation. Everything was very enjoyable and the organisation made the trip a lot less stressful before and during. The suggested itinerary allowed us to see some of the sights we would not have known to keep an eye out for had we travelled on our own. However, the flexibility of having our own car and keeping to our own agenda also meant that we were able to explore other areas of interest that were not included in the itinerary.

Scott,Australia

Norway Explorer, August 2013

Made the trip a lot less stressful

Thank you for the itinerary and organisation. Everything was very enjoyable and the organisation made the trip a lot less stressful before and during. The suggested itinerary allowed us to see some of the sights we would not have known to keep an eye out for had we travelled on our own. However, the flexibility of having our own car and keeping to our own agenda also meant that we were able to explore other areas of interest that were not included in the itinerary.

Scott,Germany

Norway Explorer, August 2013

Everything was great!

Everything was great! The car was a small Mercedes that got great gas mileage. The hotels were very nice, centrally located, professional staff, several had windows over waterways, and all the breakfasts were fantastic... The trip itinerary was well planned and gave us a great exposure to many parts of Norway. A local mentioned that we had seen more of Norway than many Norwegians. The inclusion of ferry schedules w/ fares, city maps, vouchers and personalized book with all the details of our trip was invaluable. I wouldn't have know how to plan a trip like this from U.S. and it was perfect in many ways. Thank you Nordic Visitor.

Our trip was fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone, especially if you are struggling with how to get started planning a great adventure in Scandinavia. It was very comforting to be able to contact our travel consultant via e-mail prior to travel and while traveling when we had questions.

Approx 1926EUR

Monthly price comparison Our best price per person when booking for two.

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Tour Information

Optional

Meet-and-greet on arrival at the airport in Oslo and private transfer to your hotel for an additional fee of € 240. Contact us for details.

Note

Please note that some museums and activities in the countryside might only be available between 15th of June and 15th of August.

This is an independent, self-guided tour. All accommodations, rental car and train or cruise travel (as specified in the itinerary) will be pre-booked by Nordic Visitor, but travellers are ultimately responsible for getting to hotels and to any train or cruise departure points by the specified times.

Currency rate

All bookings are charged in Euros (EUR). Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. Therefore, conversions from EUR to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day

After booking with Nordic Visitor

After booking your package with Nordic Visitor, you will be contacted within two working days by one of our travel consultants, who will serve as your dedicated contact person for all of your travel needs before, during and even after your holiday. Your travel consultant will provide you with details about your booking and your remaining payment (if not paid in full). You will also receive more information about what to expect during your holiday.